


Where is his Daemon?

by Airbender_Rui



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21556282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airbender_Rui/pseuds/Airbender_Rui
Summary: Imagining if Team Avatar had daemons! Extra fun because of the animal hybrids in the atla/lok universe. One-shot.
Kudos: 53





	Where is his Daemon?

KATARA AND UNNUQ

“Are you sure there’s fish?” Ailo contests Sokka. Sokka groans.

Katara giggles. Usually, daemons and their humans agree, but Sokka and Ailo are not like most. Ailo recently settled into a small arctic fox-weasel. He tries to challenge Katara’s daemon Unnuq, who flits between a snowy owl-cat and a penguin.

Unnuq sticks their tongue out and dives deep into the sea. Katara feels exhilarated to feel the cool water on her soul. Unnuq comes up for air. “You can catch a fish this way!” they realize, seeing the fish below their toes. Katara smiles and settles into a waterbending stance. Unnuq transforms back into a snowy owl-cat, perching on the end of the canoe.

Katara manages to hold a blob of water with a fish inside. “Look Sokka!” she exclaims.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Katara!” Ailo jumps over the canoe to get a closer look.

“Katara!” Sokka disagrees, “How are we going to get the fish without--AHHH!” Sokka is cut off by a splash of antarctic water.

Sokka stands up in alarm, rocking the boat. Katara desperately tries to use her waterbending to stabilize it, but it’s no use. They crash against one of the many icebergs, their canoe ripped apart by the harsh ice. Unnuq turns into a small mouse, burrowing in Katara’s chest pocket.

Sokka climbs onto the iceberg yelling obscenities, Ailo draped over his neck. Katara rolls her eyes. 

“Woah---” she sees a young boy with glowing arrows inside the center of the iceberg. “There’s a boy in there,” Unnuq points out, as they peek out of Katara’s pocket. “Where’s his daemon?”

Katara doesn’t respond. She doesn’t think when she calls on her waterbending with a powerful, but uncontrolled push of her chi, cracking the iceberg open. A brilliant beam of white light shoots into the air, momentarily blinding the siblings.

“Tui and La,” Ailo murmurs. Sokka looks past Katara in wonder.

The boy wakes up blearily. “Who are you?” 

Unnuq climbs onto Katara’s shoulder. “She’s Katara, and I’m Unnuq,” the daemon transforms into a fluffy mini polar bear-dog, and the boy softens.

“I’m Aang,” he says.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Sokka says annoyedly. Ailo finishes his thought, “But where in La is your daemon?”

“Oh, I’m an airbender.” Aang says sunnily. “Appa will be here any moment.” Suddenly a giant bison from below the iceberg emerges. The gigantic daemon huffs, and he licks Aang enthusiastically. “I’m glad to see you too, Appa.”

Sokka voices his confusion, “My dad said airbenders were able to stay farther away from their daemons, and that airbenders always had air bison as daemons, but--”

“There haven’t been airbenders for a hundred years,” Ailo finishes the thought. Appa approaches Ailo and the two look into each other’s eyes.

“Uhh--maybe we should wait,” Katara says as she feels the ice crack beneath her feet. 

“This piece of ice isn’t going to hold us!” Unnuq exclaims.

Aang shrugs. “Appa and I can get you out of here.”

“Uhhhh---,” Sokka looks at the air bison with some trepidation. Ailo leaps off his shoulder onto Appa. Sokka groans. 

Unnuq changes into snowy owl-cat, perching on the end of Appa’s saddle. Katara feels strange touching a stranger’s daemon, but she also knows she doesn’t have much of a choice. As the small chunk of ice splits again, Aang yells, “Appa, yip yip!” And the air bison is in the air.

“Wooohooo!” Unnuq shouts, flying through the breeze. Katara looks down in wonder, her world looks so small.

“My village is that way,” Sokka directs. Ailo runs up to the top of Appa’s horn and points to the village with his nose. Appa groans in assent.

Aang walks back to Appa’s saddle. “I can’t believe I’ve been gone for a hundred years.” the young boy looks so small. “This must be a mistake.”

Katara sighs, giving him a hug. “It’s okay,” Unnuq says. “We can figure this out. It would help if we knew more about you.”

“Well,” Aang starts. “I’m an airbender of the Southern Air Temple. My teacher is Gyatso. I have friends from all over--”

Sokka interrupts, “We meant, how did you get in that iceberg?”

Ailo shoves him, “Don’t be rude!”

Katara chuckles, “ That was rude, but Sokka has a point. I mean, the Avatar is supposed to be an airbender--Are you the Avatar?”

“No!” Aang exclaims. “I’m just an airbender.” He has his hands in the air in surrender. Unnuq changes into a snowy fox-monkey and turns away from Aang, suspiciously.

Appa groans. Unnuq says to Katara, “Appa says he’s lying.”

“Aang,” Katara warns, “Why would you lie about that?” Appa groans.

Unnuq turns into a mouse and whispers to Katara. “Because he’s afraid of his destiny.”

Katara looks at Aang, unimpressed. The boy blushes. 

Sokka, whose been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time, finally perks up. “We’re back!” he says. Ailo runs to the saddle, jumping onto Sokka’s shoulder.

With a thud, the group lands. Gran Gran leaves the hut. “What’s going on?” she says with trepidation, Ashuna, a fire ferret, on her shoulder. Katara hugs her, Ashuna’s bushy tail soft against her cheek.

Ashuna’s form is strange for a Tribesperson, but with Gran Gran travelling from the North to the South, her daemon settled in the Earth Kingdom. Most people think Ashuna’s form is weird, but Katara appreciates it.

“We found the Avatar!” Katara exclaims. Gran Gran’s eyes are wide. 

“Come in! Come in!” Ashuna hollers. Gran Gran rushes to prepare dinner. Aang says good-bye to Appa, who gives the boy another lick. It’s cute, but Katara can’t deny Aang smells from all those wet licks.

Whatever. She and Unnuq, now a lemur-monkey with big hands, help Gran Gran prepare lunch. Over the comforting meal, they catch her up on meeting Aang. Aang sheepishly apologizes for lying about being the Avatar. It’s a nice meal, and Aang is a nice kid.

“Katara, can you put out the fire?” Ashuna asks. Katara smiles, and with a flick of her wrist, some snow extinguishes the fire.

“Woah! You’re a waterbender!” Aang exclaims. “Can you teach me?” 

Katara sighs. Unnuq says, “Katara’s the last waterbender in the South. She hasn’t had access to a teacher.”

Aang’s eyes widen. “A lot has changed. Well, Appa can take us North to learn.”

Gran Gran sighs. “I knew this day would come.” Ashuna lies across her shoulders, eyes closed.

Suddenly, Aang and the daemons perk up.

“It’s black snow--” Aang starts.

“The Fire Nation is here!” Ashuna harshly whispers. She leaps across the hut onto Gran Gran’s chest. Gran Gran pulls out bags. “Here’s some food and sleeping rolls,” she hands them to Sokka and Ailo. “Take care of your sister, Warrior Sokka.”

Sokka and Ailo nod. Katara gives her grandma one last hug before heading off, Ashuna also giving her one last cuddle.

____________________________________________________________________________

SOKKA AND AILO

A small flying lemur-monkey chitters at the Southern Air Temple. “Mmmm, dinner,” Sokka says happily.

“No, don’t eat him!” Aang exclaims. He starts chasing the small creature, and Sokka follows, lagging behind without any flight or airbending. When he and Ailo finally catch up, Aang and the lemur-monkey are in a grove filled with trees bearing fruit.

Aang is already up collecting fruits. “I’m going to name you Momo,” he decides.

Sokka groans. “We already have enough trouble feeding Appa! Besides, what kind of daemon eats?”

Aang goes into airbender-teaching mode, “Airbenders have learned to detach ourselves from earthly tethers, like daemons. Instead, we have formed a companionship with the air bison. When an airbender forms a connection with an air bison, they become like human and daemon, but the air bison is still a separate creature and needs to eat.”

Sokka zoned out the second Aang said “airbenders,” but Ailo brings him back to attention by saying cheerily, “That’s fascinating, Aang!”

Aang beams back. “And Momo can pretend to be my daemon! That way people don’t freak out.”

Sokka sighs. He has to admit it’s a good idea.

Katara comes sauntering over. “Who’s this cutie?” Unnuq coos, turning into a flying lemur-monkey to play with Momo. Katara pats Momo’s gigantic ears.

____________________________________________________________________________

TOPH AND QIANG

Toph and Qiang have been kicked out of their parents at Gaoling since Qiang settled into a Badgermole at the young age of 7, but with the Blind Bandit winnings, Toph has been living pretty comfortably. It gets lonely though. Qiang can’t stay in towns, so it’s just the two of them in the countryside. They’ve also befriended a fire ferret whose been pretending to be Toph’s daemon everytime they go into town. They learned after the first town that people don’t take kindly to people without visible daemons. Someone might think Toph’s an airbender. 

Just their daemon and a quiet fire ferret. They sometimes just want to scream. 

Toph stamps their foot to listen to the earth. “What!?” Speaking of airbenders, they feel an immense presence that can only be an air bison...

____________________________________________________________________________

ZUKO AND AKOZU

Azula shot Uncle. Azula shot Uncle. The three words repeat in Zuko’s head. Akozu, now a squirrel-monkey, is comfortingly patting Kai’s small shaking lemur-mouse form. 

Azula runs away, Azulon at her heel. The sight of Azulon’s threatening lioness-eagle form strikes shame into Zuko’s heart. Of course Azula would settle at a young age to their father’s daemon. Zuko would never live up to that.

He turns his thoughts back to his uncle, who is barely breathing. Azula shot Uncle.

“Katara can heal you,” an unfamiliar voice hits Zuko. He sees Katara’s daemon on the girl’s neck, now settled into a snowy owl-cat since her stint at the North Pole. Katara looks at him kindly.

Fire forms at his fingertips, but Akozu cuts him off, “Please, help him! We don’t know what to do!” 

Katara presses glowing water to Uncle’s wound. Kai stops shivering.

Zuko breathes out in relief. He takes in the people around him with some trepidation. Wait, is that--”You don’t have a daemon!” he says in alarm.

The child rolls their eyes. “Yeah, I’m another airbender.”

Zuko’s eyes widen. “No way!” Akozu exclaims.

The earth shakes slightly. They laugh. “I’m Toph. My daemon is huge so we have a pretty long bond. Long bonds are a sign of a powerful bender and I’m the best earthbender in the world!” They laugh maniacally.

Zuko shrinks away. Akozu laughs.

“You should come with us,” Katara offers.

Zuko shakes his head. “I’ll only slow you down. I promise to stay out of your way now, though.”

Sokka and his daemon look on him skeptically. Katara’s daemon hoots, and Katara smiles kindly. Toph crosses their arms with indifference.

Toph perks up, hands to their sides, “Kyoshi!” she swears, “Your sister got away.”

Zuko sighs. “Not even the Avatar can defeat her,” Akozu says solemnly.

“Zuko?” Uncle’s weak voice wafts to Zuko’s ears.

“You’re okay!” Zuko explains. Akozu gently picks up Kai, who squeaks comfortably. Zuko helps Uncle stand.

“Thank you, Master Katara,” he bows his head to Katara.

She smiles. “No problem,” her daemon says.

“We should go,” Sokka says, as his daemon pulls on Katara’s leg. Zuko sees the Avatar returning from his fight with Azula.

“Hmph, okay,” Katara says. “Good-bye,” she waves to the Fire Nation traitors.

Zuko waves back, feeling relieved for once, instead of lost and full of pain and anger. 

Suddenly, he feels faint and chills wrack his body. He falters.

Uncle holds him. “Zuko! You’re burning up!”

“Urgh,” Zuko says gracefully as he slips into unconsciousness.

__________________________________________________________________________

AZULA AND AZULON

Azula shut the door behind her with a smirk. The Earth King’s bedroom, eh? It has nothing on her room in the Fire Nation. 

Azulon climbs onto a couch and changes from a hulking scarlet lioness-eagle into a small black cat-snake. Azula smirks. Azulon licks his paws. “I can stay as your ‘settled’ animal if you’d like,” he says silkily.

Azula pets Azulon’s small head, “Don’t worry. You deserve a break.” Azulon stretches out, flitting between different animals with glee. 

Azula yawns. Coups are tiring.

____________________________________________________________________________

IROH AND KAI

Small manacles are fitted around Kai’s tiny arms. Iroh shivers when the guard touches his daemon.

Distantly, he hears Azula complain, “I can’t believe he decided to keep being a traitor!”

Iroh smiles in satisfaction, grateful that Zuko, in all his stubbornness, at least listens to his daemon. All his sacrifices are worth it. 

He accepts his incarceration with a Zen that irritates Azula. “Don’t you have anything to say?” Azulon taunts, his long tail tripping Iroh as the guard escorts him and Kai to a cell.

Iroh shakes his head. Kai shivers on his shoulder, rubbing his neck. “It’ll be okay, Kai,” he whispers softly. Kai only whimpers.

__________________________________________________________________________

MAI AND LAOFU

Laofu settled into a sleek black cat-snake when Mai was twelve. 

Mai is surprised to see Zuko heading the Boiling Rock escape, and she’s even more surprised to see that Akozu hasn’t yet settled. Zuko’s probably the oldest person she’s seen with an unsettled daemon. Azula and Zuko couldn’t be any more different. 

Akozu flits between a polar-bear dog and a large eagle-hawk to wrestle Azulon in the air. Zuko and Azula are also fighting in the air, boosted by firebending from their feet.

Ty Lee and Ty Ling are fighting one of the Kyoshi Warriors and her panda-dog daemon. That Kyoshi Warrior is good, and with the annoying Tribesman and his clever fox at her side, she wonders how long Ty Lee will last.

With a flick of her wrist, she throws a knife to stop the cable from moving.

“Excellent!” Azula’s cruel voice says moments later. Azula lands by Mai. Laofu hides between Mai’s legs. A few moments later, Ty Lee and Ty Ling are back, both walking on their hands. Azulon is preventing Zuko and Akozu from getting close.

“Mai!” Zuko’s voice has gotten rougher and lower since his banishment. He sounds tired. She looks up to see her childhood crush, stuck in a gondola with no hope of escape. The scar is bigger than Mai imagined. 

Guards start cutting the cable. 

“Please, help us!” Akozu screams, desperately, as Azulon rips away flesh on Zuko’s shoulder.

In a sudden burst, Mai removes the knife holding the cable, allowing Zuko and his friends to escape. 

“How dare you!” Azula grabs Laofu, leaving Mai to twist on the ground in pain. 

Suddenly, the pain goes away as Ty Lee and her daemon come in, Ty Lee chi-blocking Azula and Ty Ling’s deft paws similarly paralyzing Azulon. Laofu licks Mai’s cheek, but Mai can feel her shaking with fear.

“Why?” Azula screams.

Mai turns away. For the first time, Laofu speaks to Azula. “Fear doesn’t work forever,” she says, her voice surprisingly steady.

Azulon growls. “Guards, take them away!” Azula orders.

One of the guards grabs Laofu, and Mai doesn’t remember much after that, besides Ty Lee’s desperate cries to leave Ty Ling alone. 

Mai doesn’t say anything. She knows it’s pointless.

____________________________________________________________________________

TY LEE AND TY LING

Ty Ling licks Ty Lee’s cheek, waking her. The brown dog-bear daemon looks at Ty Lee worriedly.

Ty Lee wraps her hands around Ling’s large fluffy middle. “Where’s Laofu and Mai?” Ling asks.

Ty Lee shrugs, taking in the dank cell that is her new home. There are three metal beds and a metal toilet. She rises from the ground.

“Are you okay?!” a high-voiced fire ferret daemon asks Ty Lee. She looks up to see their human, a teenage girl clad in red prisoner’s clothes.

The girl’s eyes widen in recognition. “You’re the reason we’re in here!” 

Ty Lee gulps. “So you’re a Kyoshi Warrior then?” Ling asks.

The fire ferret daemon huffs. “How’d you get in here?”

“I betrayed Azula,” Ty Lee says, her voice small.

The girl huffs. “Don’t think I’ll let you off that easily,” she growls. Ty Lee gingerly dodges a punch, quickly chi-blocking her arm. “You’re a chi-blocker!” the daemon says in alarm.

“Quiet!” A mean looking guard bangs on the metal door. “Don’t make me come in there!”

The girls are silent.

Ty Lee whispers, “I can teach you if you’d like? As an apology of what happened at Ba Sing Se.”

The Kyoshi Warrior looks at her skeptically. She rolls her eyes. “Alright then.”

The fire ferret daemon perks up, “I’m Huo Di, and this is Jing.” Huo Di jumps onto Jing’s thigh.

“I’m Ty Lee, and this is Ty Ling.” Ty Lee gives a tentative smile, and the Kyoshi Warrior returns it, just as unsure.

Ty Ling tries to sniff Huo Di’s butt, much to Ty Lee’s embarrassment. “Ling!” she admonishes.

But Jing laughs, hands on her face to quiet her laughter. Ty Lee laughs back, a grin back on her face.

____________________________________________________________________________

KATARA AND UNNUQ

Katara realizes with a jolt, that Azulon never settled. Zuko’s down, and the princess is charging her. Azulon stays at Zuko’s side, nervously changing shapes, he’s now a turtleduck. Akozu is crying Zuko’s name.

Suddenly, Azula stiffens. Katara sees Zuko petting Azulon. For her, she doesn’t mind when Sokka or anyone in Team Avatar holds Unnuq, but she can tell that Azula’s relationship with Zuko isn’t at that level.

“Please,” Azulon whimpers. “Make it end.” He tries to turn back into his usual red lioness-eagle form, but it doesn’t work. 

“Don’t tell me you’re stuck as a turtle-duck!” Azula screams. She blasts fire at her own daemon, who turns into a hawk to fly away. Katara intercepts Azula before she can get to Zuko and Akozu, and Unnuq goes after Azulon to make sure he’s okay.

“It’s over, Azula,” Katara says levelly. Water surges from the sewer to douse Azula’s attack. Katara summons her healing water and surrounds the girl’s head, knocking her unconscious.

“Nice trick,” Akozu says shakily. Katara runs up to Zuko, healing water on his wound. He cracks his eyes open.

“Thank you, Katara,” Zuko smiles and goes unconsciousness, Akozu sleeping on his legs as a fire-breathing komodo dragon.

Katara sighs. It’s over. 

Unnuq comes back with Azulon in tow. Azulon is conscious, even though his human isn’t, which catches Katara off-guard. He’s a small dorm mouse now.

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice full of pain. “We went too far.”

Unnuq perches on Katara’s shoulder and they whisper, “Azulon and Azula are disconnected.” Katara’s eyes widen.

“Take me with you,” Azulon begs. “I don’t know what to do with her.”

Unnuq huffs and picks on the daemon roughly from his tail. Katara rolls her eyes, what a drama queen.

“I’ll take you with us,” Katara promises. She looks up into the orange sky, lit by Sozin’s comet. It’s all up to Aang now.

____________________________________________________________________________

AANG AND APPA

The Fire Lord’s bending is gone. It’s over. The war is over. Aang falls to his feet. Ozai slumps to the ground. His daemon, Okazi, screams, resisting Aang’s earthen shackles.

Aang feels a tug in his belly and a friendly roar. “Appa!” His daemon comes close, with Toph, Suki, and Sokka in tow. Even Momo is there, who jumps onto Aang’s shoulder chittering.

Aang chuckles. He whispers, “You’re the best fake daemon an airbender can have.” Momo tugs painfully on his ear in response. “Ow!”

“Uhh, Aang, pretty sure the Fire Lord is still alive,” Suki interrupts. Suka, her panda-dog daemon says with a squeaky voice, “He’s right there, hurry!”

Appa says, “I’m surprised, Aang. How’d you take his bending away?” The daemons whisper to their humans, conveying Appa’s message.

“I’ll tell you later,” Aang says. Appa groans in assent.

After consulting with Ailo, Sokka shrugs. “I guess that works too.” 

“Ugh, can we get out of the air, yet?” Toph groans.

“Fine,” Aang says. “You want to guard Ozai? I need to find Zuko and Katara.”

“Oh, I would love to. Toph jumps off of Appa, twisting their legs to bury Ozai from the neck down. Without a look back, Aang climbs onto Appa.

____________________________________________________________________________  
TOPH AND QIANG

It’s nice to be around people and Qiang, at the same time! Thanks to the gigantic Fire Palace, Qiang is able to participate in the festivities. There was some hoity-toity speeches from Aang and Zuko, but now, it’s party time. 

Sokka’s already overeaten. “Stop eating!” Ailo reprimands. Toph feels him slapping away the meat in Sokka’s hand. “Ailo!” Sokka roughly grabs his daemon.

Toph laughs at their antics. She and Qiang listen, feeling Zuko and Akozu coming close. “Hey Akozu,” Qiang says in his deep baritone voice. 

Zuko and Akozu jump. Zuko smiles, “It’s nice to see you around people,” he says kindly.

“People-smeople. I prefer caves,” Qiang quips.

“Okayyy.” Akozu says awkwardly.

Toph revels in their discomfort, but then she realizes something. “Wait, Akozu, you’ve been a fire-breathing komodo dragon for a while now.” 

Zuko smiles. “He finally settled.”

“I settled when I was good and ready,” Akozu pouts.

Toph grins. “Let’s celebrate!” They turn to Suki, who is nearby. “Suki, bring out the cactus juice!”

“Get it yourself,” Suka says annoyedly.

Zuko relaxes. “It’s fine, I’ll get some. And I’ve never tried fire rice wine before...”

____________________________________________________________________________

AZULA AND AZULON

For the past few months, Azula has been awake when Azulon is asleep and vice versa. The doctor says it’s a manifestation of the trauma of faking a settled form. Azula doesn’t care. She doesn’t even feel her daemon anymore.

Suddenly, Azulon wakes up. He’s been stuck as a turtle-duck for days now. 

“So we’re finally up at the same time,” Azula drawls. “I can’t believe you’re a turtle-duck. You better not settle in that form.”

Azulon turns away from Azula, “I’ll do as I please.” Nevertheless, he turns into a big red fluffy bear-dog, putting his head on Azula’s lap. “We’ll get through this, Azula.”

Azula pets Azulon’s head, the soft fur comforting after living in this metal cell. For the first time that she can remember, she cries.

Azulon licks up her tears. “Shhh, it’ll be okay, it’ll be okay.” Azula grabs Azulon around the neck, holding him tightly, tears continuing to free fall down her face.  
____________________________________________________________________________

IROH AND KAI

Kai uses both hands to swing a small bell. “Tea’s ready,” he squeaks.

Aang, Katara and Unnuq, Toph, Sokka and Ailo, and Zuko and Akozu gather around the teapot. Appa and Qiang play in the courtyard.

The humans picks up the cups of jasmine tea, and with a collective “Ahhh!” they all sip happily.

Sokka and Ailo are hard at work on paintings. Surprisingly, Ailo’s painting of the group is remarkably realistic. Sokka’s, though, not so much. “How is that even possible?” the teenage Tribesman huffs, “You don’t even have thumbs.”

Ailo laughs, before going off to tease Unnuq, much to Katara’s annoyance. Aang rests his head on the young lady’s shoulder.

Zuko looks more at peace than Iroh’s ever seen him, and Akozu is conversing with Appa and Qiang outside, uninterested in the wooden floors of the Fire Royalty Tea Room.

Iroh reaches his hand out so Kai can run up his arm, settling on his shoulder. Kai giggles into Iroh’s ear. “They’re a funny group,” he chirps happily. Iroh laughs, a deep thing, coming from his belly. Kai runs off to cuddle with Zuko, to make sure he’s okay.

Suddenly, Toph lets out a gigantic burp. Iroh is slightly alarmed, but all the youngsters start laughing wildly, Zuko included. Iroh smiles, a tear of happiness slipping down his cheek.


End file.
